Jet operated refrigerator



July 13, 1954 R. RIDGLEY 2,683,351

JET OPERATED REFRIGERATOR Filed July 24. 1952 Raymond Ridg/ey IN VENTOR.

Patented July 13, 1954 JET OPERATED REFRIGERATOR Raymond Ridgley,Detroit, Mich.

Application July 24, 1952, Serial No. 300,678

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a jet operated refrigerator and particularlyto a jet operating system having means to prevent vapor lock of thedriving pump.

In the operation of jet operated refrigerators there has been difficultybecause of the entrainment of gas in the pump or the formation of gastherein to cause a vapor lock in the driving system and also difiicultyhas been encountered because of backflow of fluid refrigerant into theevaporating coils on a failure of the jet.

The present invention provides a pumping system so arranged that no gascan be entrapped in the pumping system so that the jet may becontinuously operated and the utilization of a check valve between theevaporator and the suction jet chamber so that the evaporator willcontinue to operate for an interval in the event the jet should be shutdown.

This is accomplished according to the invention by providing a receiverhaving a quantity of liquid refrigerant therein and a centrifugal pumpcompletely immersed in the liquid refrigerant so that no gas can bepicked up by the pump. The condensing device for returning therefrigerant to the receiver is provided with a sloping header so that aliquid seal is provided between the condenser and the receiver so, thatgases are separated from the liquid being returned to the receiver. Thedevice further utilizes the use of a shunt valve around the evaporatorcontrol valve so that liquid refrigerant may be passed through theevaporating coil to defrost the same.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved jetoperated refrigerator.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a jet operatedrefrigerator having a completely immersed pump.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a refrigeratingsystem having a vapor trap between the condenser and the receiver.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a bypass valvefor flooding the evaporator with liquid. refrigerant to defrost thesame.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a check valve betweenthe evaporating coil and the condensing chamber to prevent backflow ofliquid refrigerant thereto.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the presentinvention will be apparent from the following detailed description takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which the figure is aschematic illustration of a jet operated refrigerator according to theinvention.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, a receiver tank ID has anelectric motor l2 mounted therein which has a shaft l4 driving acentrifugal pump it which is completely immersed in a quantity of liquidrefrigerant [8 received in the receiver tank I 0.

The pump It delivers liquid refrigerant to a pressure line 20 which inturn supplies liquid refrigerant to a nozzle 22 which is received in asuction housing 24 and has a return connection 25 connected to a topheader 28 of a condenser having a plurality of condensing tubes 30provided with cooling fins 32. The condensing tubes 31! are connectedinto a return header 34 which is connected into the receiver H] by meansof a conduit 36.

The return header 34 is inclined with respect to the horizontal so thatone end 38 is at a considerably lower level than the other end 40. Theconduit 35 is connected into the lower end 38 and connects into thereceiver It at a point 42 materially below the normal level ofrefrigerant I8 in the container In. The upward slope of the header 34 issufficient that the top end 40 is above the liquid level of therefrigerant [8 in the container Ill so that a portion of the header 34is flooded as well as the lower ends 44 of a por-' tion of the tubes 30.

The refrigerating system per se comprises an evaporating coil 58 towhich is connected a supply line 52 which connects into the containerIi! at a point adjacent the bottom thereof so that the entrance 54 ofsupply line 52 will be constantly below the level of the liquid in thecontainer Ill. The evaporator coil Ell is connected into the chamber 24by means of a suction line 55 so that the jet 22 constantly entrains thegas or other material coming through the line 56 into the chamber 24 sothat a suction is supplied to the-evaporator 50 to cause fluid from thecontainer ill to flow through the supply line 52 into the evaporator 58.A throttling valve 6i] is supplied in series between the supply line 52and the evaporator 50. The control valve 60 may be either a. capillarytube as is well known or may be any type of mechanically or otherwiseoperated control valve for controlling or throttling the flow of liquidinto the evaporator 50.

The check valve 62 having a control ball valve 64 is placed in thesuction line 56 so that on the failure of the jet 22 to produce suctionin the line 56 the spring 66 will seat the valve 64 to close the suctionline 56 to prevent reverse flow of the gas or liquid from the returnline 26 into the suction line 55 and thus cause flooding of theevaporator. Preferably a bypass valve 10 is connected in shunt with thecontrol valve 50 so that the valve 1'0 may be opened to permit a flow ofliquid refrigerant from the container lil into the evaporator Bil toflood the same and cause defrosting thereof.

In the operation of the refrigerator according to the invention, thepump IE will be driven by the motor 12 through the driving connection I4to impel pressure fluid through the conduit 20 through the nozzle 22 toentrain gas or other material in the chamber 24 and drive the same intothe header 28. The valve 62 will be operated in conjunction with thecontrol valve Bil to cause a continuous or intermittent flow of fluidthrough the supply line 52 into'the' evaporator 59 where the gasesproduced will be drawn ofi through the suction line 56 and commingledwith the pressure fluid being delivered through the nozzle 22. The gasesand the liquids will be separated in the header 2%? with the liquidsfalling rapidly through the tubes 30 while the gases w-illbe retainedinv the tubes 30 and condensed into a liquid by heat exchange throughthe fins 32,. The liquid flooding the lower portion of. the header 34provides a liquid seal between the condenser and the receiver l so thatonly liquid will ,flow through the return conduit 36 to main tain theliquid level in the receiver while any gases falling through the tubes39 will rise to the end 48 of the inclined header 34 so that the gaseswill continuously move upwardly into the condenser tubes 32 to becondensed therein.

It will accordingly be seen that the present invention provides a jetsystem in which there is little or no chance or" vapor lock of the jetnozzles and in which the refrigerant willbe completely condensed beforereturning .to the receiver and in the event of inoperative condition ofthe nozzle the evaporator will be maintained in cooling condition for aperiod until the pressure in the evaporator risesv to a point wherethere will. be no further material drawn through the supply line 52.

In applications such as automotive air conditioning the sealedin motormay be omitted and the ,pump driven. by .a shaft extending through thewall of the receiver, or by otherdrivin-g connection to an outsidesource of power.

While a preferred embodiment has been shown and described herein, itwill be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes andmodifications can be made therein without departing from the true spiritor the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A refrigeration system comprising a receiver tank, a quantity ofliquid refrigerant partially filling said receiver tank, an evaporator,a sup ply conduit connected between the lower portion of said tank andsaid evaporator, a throttling device interposed in said conduit betweensaid tank and said evaporator, a pump submerged in the liquid in saidtank, a driving motor in the upper portion of said tank, a drivingconnection conduit connected between the lower between said motor andsaid pump, a jet nozzle, a pressure conduit extending from said pump tosaid jet nozzle, a housing surrounding said nozzle, a conduit extendingbetween said evaporator and said housing, a condenser including a topand a bottom header, a plurality of cooling tubes extending between saidheaders, a conduit cornmunicating said housing with said top header, aconduit communicating said bottom header with the lower portion of saidtank.

2. A refrigeration system'comprising a receiver tank, a quantity ofliquid refrigerant partially filling said receiver tank, an evaporator,a supply portion of said tank and said evaporator, a throttling deviceinterposed in said conduit between said tank and said evaporator, aby-pass valve connected in shunt with said throttling device, a pumpsubmerged'in the liquid in said tank, a driving motor in the upperportion of said tank, a driving connection between said. motor andsaidpump, a jet nozzle, a pressure conduit extending from said pump to. saidjet nozzle, a housing surrounding said nozzle, a conduit extendingbetween said evaporator and said housing, a check valve interposed insaid conduit between said evaporator and-saidhousing, a return conduitextending between said housing and said tank, a condenser interposed .insaid return conduit.

3. A refrigeration system comprising a receiver tank, a quantity ofliquid refrigerant partially filling said receiver tank, an evaporator,a supply conduit connected between the lower portion of said tank andsaid evaporator, a throttling device interposed in said conduit betweensaid tank and said evaporator, a pump submerged in the liquid in saidtank, a driving motor in the upper portion of said tank, a drivingconnection between said motor andsaid pump, a jet nozzle, a pressureconduit extending from said pump to said jet nozzle, a housingsurrounding said nozzle, a conduit extending between. said evaporatorand said housing, a condenser including a top and a bottom header, aplurality of cooling tubes extending between said top and bottomheaders, a conduit communicating said housing with said top header, saidbottom header being inclined, the lower endof said bottom header beingbelow the liquid level in said tank, the upper end or said bottom headerbeing above the liquid level in said tank, a conduit communicating thelower end of said bottom header with said. tank at a point below "theliquid level therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 757,393 Coleman Apr. 12, 1904 1,874,912 Crosthwait Aug. 30,1932 2,088,669 Randel Aug. 3, 1937 2,152,663 Randel Apr. 4, 19392,323,480 MacDougall July 6, 1943' 2,624,179 Daisy Jan. 6, 1953

